Trading Up

Unpacked: How Economics Is Driving Global Politics

Trading Up

Show Notes

In this episode of Trading Up Unpacked, host Jim Fitzpatrick and Professor Richard Ramsey analsye how economic realities are overriding culture wars to reshape global political agendas.

The discussion opens in the United States, examining how soaring petrol and diesel costs, Federal Reserve interest rates, and the energy-intensive AI infrastructure boom are impacting political strategy ahead of the US midterms.

Across Europe, economic strain manifests in Spain’s housing-driven election and French public sector protests.

Turning to the UK, the hosts evaluate the Chancellor’s tight £24 billion fiscal headroom, £100 billion annual debt interest burden, and difficult choices between taxation and public spending cuts.

Finally, they spotlight Northern Ireland, where political inertia around a £2 billion wastewater funding gap, record-low housing completions, and 22-year planning delays for the North-South inter-connector threaten long-term economic competitiveness. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More from Trading Up

Oct 14, 2026

In this episode of Trading Up, host Jim Fitzpatrick sits down with tech entrepreneur Alastair Cameron to explore the raw realities of founder resilience, personal crisis, and starting over.

Oct 7, 2026

In this episode of Trading Up, host Jim Fitzpatrick and economist Professor Richard Ramsey unpack Northern Ireland's dramatic economic split.

Sep 30, 2026

Every successful economy is built on the foundations of a good education system. So what happens when education standards begin to fall and what can Northern Ireland learn from what works elsewhere?

Sep 23, 2026

In this latest episode of Trading Up, host Jim Fitzpatrick explores why traditional top-down central control holds scaling businesses back. Featuring business leaders across tech, retail, and travel, the episode reveals how delegating real authority to local teams drives performance and innovation.

Sep 16, 2026

In this episode of Trading Up, hosts Jim Fitzpatrick and Richard Ramsey tackle a sobering trifecta of global economic challenges. First, escalating Middle East conflicts and drone strikes on vital maritime choke points - such as the Bab-el-Mandeb strait - have disrupted major crude pipelines, pushing oil prices above $107 a barrel. Rising fuel, gas, and home heating costs threaten to reignite inflation and trigger central bank interest rate hikes.

See all episodes →